Joint and soft tissue injuries
Ligament sprains, bursitis, fat pad impingement, capsular problems, and combinations of these often need a specialist to map them out and build the right plan.
Ligament sprains, bursitis, fat pad impingement, joint capsule problems, and combinations of structures contribute together. Specialist sport and exercise medicine assessment maps these out and builds a plan that respects the whole picture.
Common soft tissue problems we see
Stretched or torn ligaments
Ankle, knee and other joint sprains that need the right loading to settle.
Read more Swelling and rubbingBursitis
Inflamed bursae around the hip, knee, shoulder or elbow.
Read more Pinching painFat pad impingement
Pain at the front of the knee or the heel when a fat pad gets squeezed.
Read more Stiff, irritable jointsCapsule and joint lining problems
Joint capsule and synovial irritation that limits comfortable movement.
Read more
Ligament sprains
Ligaments outside the knee and ankle (like the AC joint, the syndesmosis, the wrist scapholunate ligament) need their own consideration. Each has specific stress tests, imaging considerations, and rehabilitation pathways. Missed or under-treated sprains often present months later as ongoing instability.
Bursitis
True bursitis (inflammation of a fluid-filled cushion between tissues) does occur, particularly in the olecranon, prepatellar, retrocalcaneal, and subacromial bursae. More often, what gets labelled "bursitis" turns out to be an underlying tendinopathy or impingement pattern with secondary bursal involvement. The treatment differs depending on which is the primary driver.
Fat pad impingement
Hoffa's fat pad in the knee, the heel fat pad, and the fat pads around several other joints can be sources of pain when impinged or inflamed. They are often missed because they do not have a strong reputation as a pain source. Specialist assessment includes targeted examination and ultrasound where useful.
Capsular and synovial conditions
Joint capsule and synovial tissue can develop their own problems: synovial impingement, plica syndrome, synovitis, and chronic capsular contracture (such as adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder). Each has specific patterns and management.
Common questions
What if no clear diagnosis is found?
This happens. Where the picture does not match a single named diagnosis, the consultation lays out the most likely contributors and builds a structured plan with clear milestones to test the working diagnosis.
Should I ask for more imaging?
Sometimes. The threshold for additional imaging is whether the result will change management.
